Hyundai – Automobile Magazinehttp://www.automobilemag.com
No Boring Cars! | Reviews, Auto Shows, LifestyleFri, 09 Dec 2016 18:21:51 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.4Hyundai Unleashes Self-Driving Ioniq at L.A. Auto Showhttp://www.automobilemag.com/news/hyundai-self-driving-ioniq-concept/
http://www.automobilemag.com/news/hyundai-self-driving-ioniq-concept/#respondWed, 16 Nov 2016 21:20:21 +0000http://www.automobilemag.com/?p=1020578Hyundai is on a roll. A blue Hyundai Ioniq hatchback recently set a hybrid land speed record by reaching 157 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Last month’s sales were way up for its Santa Fe Sport and Tuson models. And now the Korean car company is setting it sights on a self-driving Hyundai that...

]]>Hyundai is on a roll. A blue Hyundai Ioniq hatchback recently set a hybrid land speed record by reaching 157 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Last month’s sales were way up for its Santa Fe Sport and Tuson models.

And now the Korean car company is setting it sights on a self-driving Hyundai that wants to cruise the crowded Las Vegas Strip in the New Year. But before that challenge, Hyundai is unleashing a self-driving Ioniq at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Hyundai’s autonomous concept features Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR,) radar, lane assist cameras, GPS and blind spot sensors, and a bunch of tech gizmos to help keep it safely on the road.

Hyundai says its LiDAR system is hidden in the concept’s front bumper, instead of the more obvious systems located on the roof, such as the ones currently used by other manufacturers like the ones seen on self-driving Ford Fusions for example. Hyundai refers to those types of self-driving rigs as looking like a “high school science project.”

The latest Ioniq concept resembles a wannabe Toyota Prius or Mirai, but Hyundai says its four-door concept uses LiDAR to detect the position of surrounding vehicles and objects. The test vehicle also has a forward facing radar system that detects the location and speed of objects in front of the car. In addition to that, there’s a three-way camera system that reacts to people, lane lines, and traffic signals.

A GPS antenna and Hi-Def mapping also helps determine the car’s precise location and there’s blind spot detection radar to help keep lane changes as safe as possible.

This is all combined with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, smart cruise control, lane-departure warning, and rear-cross traffic assist. The complicated system seems like ones similarly equipped in Teslas and Mercedes-Benzs currently on the market — minus the luxury and prestige.

Also, judging from diagrams provided by the company, its system fails to take in to account for lane splitting of two-wheelers as seen in the blind spots along side the vehicle’s mid-section (the white spaces) seen in the diagram shown here.

Regardless, Hyundai says the concept offers a seamless transition between active and self-driving modes. To back up the claim, Hyundai will debut two autonomous Ioniqs at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January on the boulevards of Las Vegas. We can’t wait to see how the Ioniq concept deals with Vegas bachelor and bachelorette parties jaywalking outside of the casinos.

]]>Next time someone pulls up to you in a Hyundai hybrid and wants to race, you might want to think twice — especially if you are racing for money.

A modified Hyundai Ioniq hybrid prototype set an hybrid land speed record of 157.825 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats recently.

“We couldn’t be more proud in setting the FIA hybrid-category record with our new Ioniq hybrid,” said Mike O’Brien, Product Planning Veep at Hyundai in a release. “Our engineering team really pushed the limits to set this new segment benchmark while demonstrating the impressive durability of the entire Ioniq vehicle platform. We expect this will be the first of many accolades for Ioniq.”

The Ioniq is Hyundai’s lastest hybrid model, with hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric versions expected to go on sale before the end of the year.

“A key role of Hyundai’s engineering team in the U.S. is to thoroughly test all future vehicle prototypes to ensure they exceed the demanding expectations of our customers,” said Mircea Gradu, Engineering and Quality Boss, Hyundai. “As we performed these tests on Ioniq, the engineering and quality staff became so impressed with the results that we began to wonder if we should raise our sights even higher, and the Ioniq land speed record effort was born.”

Obviously, the crew made many modifications to the Ioniq hybrid prototype to break the hybrid record.

The most notable, aside from a serious blast of nitrous-oxide, was ditching the air-conditioning unit to save weight.

Not sure if we could live without that in the desert, but way to go Hyundai. Congratulations!

]]>Bring on the night — edition. Hyundai brought a limited-production Night model to the 2016 SEMA show. Compared to all the crazy modifications on the Las Vegas convention hall floor, it actually looked OK with its blacked out wheels and monotone stance.

“Our new Night model attracts those who already appreciate the striking styling of the Tucson and want something just a little more to set them apart — the exclusive black Rays wheels with the panoramic roof combine for high appeal, inside and out,” gushed Trevor Lai, Hyundai Product Manager, in a release.

The lightly tricked-out Tucson is available in four exclusive flavors: Black Noir Pearl, Caribbean Blue, Coliseum Gray, and Dazzling White. Modifications to the standard Tucson Sport model include 19-inch black-finish alloys by Rays, a tinted, panoramic sunroof, and gloss black side mirror caps.

Inside the Tucson, a perforated leather steering wheel welcomes the driver, along with sporty aluminum-alloy pedals, and front and rear LED map lights.

Look out Costco — here we come! The Night edition goes on sale before the end of the year and pricing will be announced at that time.

]]>Hyundai has added two more vehicles to its SEMA roster and says it will unveil a “skunkworks race project” at the show. The automaker didn’t share more details about the special project, though there’s a good chance it’ll be related to its new N performance brand.

Hyundai “Santa Fast” Concept

In the meantime, Hyundai unveiled its “Santa-Fast” concept, created through a partnership with the tuners at Bisimoto. “Santa-Fast” is a fairly substantial build that involved swapping out the front-drive drivetrain for a rear-drive setup featuring an Equus-sourced rear diff. Bisimoto bolted a custom, twin-turbo kit to the 3.8-liter V-6, which churns out 1,040 hp thanks to 39 psi of boost. Better yet, the engine is bolted to a six-speed manual transmission (from a Genesis R-Spec). Other mods include KW suspension, Fifteen52 Tarmac R40 wheels, Toyo R888 competition tires, and Buddy Club brake kit.

Hyundai Gurnade Veloster Concept

Also making an appearance at Hyundai’s SEMA booth is the Gurnade Veloster concept. The build is based on a Veloster Turbo and features an intercooler, cold-air intake, and tune from 845 Motorsports, and an ARK Performance cat-back exhaust. NEO Motorsports provided the coilovers and brake kit, and the wide body kit comes from Lightner Motorsports. The concept rides on Rotiform 19-inch OZT, three-piece forged wheels wrapped in Toyo tires.

Earlier this month Hyundai revealed two other concepts headed to SEMA. The first is an Elantra builtfor the race track, and the other is a wild, off-road-ready Santa Fe created by the folks at Rockstar.

]]>The Elantra is a great car because it’s simple and honest. It’s neither a track focused sport compact nor is it a highway mpg machine. It’s just a car that does exactly what you want it to do 90 percent of the time: get you from point A to point B.

SEMA however, has a habit of turning honest cars insane. This year, Hyundai is doing just that to an Elantra. In partnership with ARK Performance, Hyundai created the ARK Road Racer Elantra Concept. Taking inspiration from other road racers and time-attack vehicles, ARK exaggerated the Elantra’s sporty lines and created the Elantra’s alternate persona — its Mr. Hyde, if you will.

The exterior of the car received ARK’s Solus wide body kit, ARK lightweight forged wheels, a Fiere Customs vinyl wrap, and an APR Performance front splitter to complete the new look. However, unlike other projects heading to SEMA this year, the exterior wasn’t the only thing ARK modified.

Underneath the hood, ARK built an engine that revolves around an ARK turbo kit, downpipe, GRiP exhaust system, and Turbosmart blow-off valve and waste gate. Hyundai and ARK are keeping mum about the total horsepower figure, for now.

“We strive to leverage the superb product development of Hyundai engineers, building upon their expertise while offering something really special to enthusiasts. The ARK Road Racer Elantra Concept offers the specific model enhancements that our customers have come to expect,” says Kevin Bentley, the concept developer.

SEMA runs from November 1 – 4. We’ll be onsite to share all the amazing, and terrifying concepts from the show’s floor. Stay tuned.

]]>http://www.automobilemag.com/news/sema-2016-hyundai-builds-racecar-froman-elantra/feed/0Hyundai Unveils Monster Off-Road Santa Fe Ahead of SEMAhttp://www.automobilemag.com/news/hyundai-unveils-monster-off-road-santa-fe-ahead-sema/
http://www.automobilemag.com/news/hyundai-unveils-monster-off-road-santa-fe-ahead-sema/#respondThu, 06 Oct 2016 00:53:09 +0000http://www.automobilemag.com/?p=1001053Bring your kids inside, lock your doors, and batten down your hatches; Hyundai just began its endless annual roll-out of SEMA concept cars. The Korean automaker is well known for its outlandish SEMA specials, and kicks off this year’s team with an extreme off-road take on the Santa Fe. Like the majority of the concepts...

Like the majority of the concepts created as part of Hyundai’s SEMA extravaganza, the cars are created in partnership with an established performance shop. Unsurprisingly, the off-road maniacs at Rockstar Garage were behind this lifted behemoth.

Hyundai is coy on the technical specs of the car, but they did provide a laundry list of modifications performed by Rockstar. For the heavily modified 3.3-liter V-6 engine, there’s regular, run-of-the-mill stuff, including an air intake, uprated Mishimoto cooling system, and a custom exhaust. Since this is SEMA, the 3.3-liter arrives packing a fresh nitrous system, likely boosting power up to terrifying heights.

]]>http://www.automobilemag.com/news/hyundai-unveils-monster-off-road-santa-fe-ahead-sema/feed/0Hyundai RN30 Concept Coming to Paris Previews i30 Nhttp://www.automobilemag.com/news/hyundai-rn30-concept-coming-to-paris-previews-i30-n/
http://www.automobilemag.com/news/hyundai-rn30-concept-coming-to-paris-previews-i30-n/#respondThu, 22 Sep 2016 18:45:07 +0000http://www.automobilemag.com/?p=993998Hyundai has teased the concept it’s bringing to the Paris Motor Show next week. Called the RN30, the concept most likely previews the upcoming i30 N, the first product to come out of Hyundai’s N performance brand. Hyundai says the concept is based on the new i30 hatchback, and you can see the family resemblance...

]]>Hyundai has teased the concept it’s bringing to the Paris Motor Show next week. Called the RN30, the concept most likely previews the upcoming i30 N, the first product to come out of Hyundai’s N performance brand.

Hyundai says the concept is based on the new i30 hatchback, and you can see the family resemblance in the sketch. Hyundai’s newly adopted hexagonal “cascading grille” adorns the front end along with slanted headlights with bright LED projectors. The concept gets large foglights in the bumper as well as a front splitter, wider fenders, and large wheels. Hyundai says the aero enhancements give the car greater stability at high speed and during cornering.

The i30 N is said to pack a turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 that was designed from the ground up for performance applications. We hear it will make at least 255 hp and will power the front wheels by way of a standard six-speed manual transmission. An all-wheel-drive variant may come later if customer response is strong enough. The i30 N will compete head to head with the Volkswagen GTI and Focus ST.

We’ll see the RN30 concept, along with the new-generation i30 on which it’s based, in Paris on September 29.

]]>http://www.automobilemag.com/news/hyundai-rn30-concept-coming-to-paris-previews-i30-n/feed/0Hyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 front endHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motionHyundai RN30 concept rear end in motion2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Gets Android Auto, CarPlayhttp://www.automobilemag.com/news/2017-hyundai-sonata-hybrid-gets-android-auto-carplay/
http://www.automobilemag.com/news/2017-hyundai-sonata-hybrid-gets-android-auto-carplay/#respondSat, 17 Sep 2016 19:30:30 +0000http://www.automobilemag.com/?p=991686The 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid has received an updated multimedia interface that now comes with Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto integration as standard. Along with better smartphone integration, the car also receives additional standard features such as HD radio and a seven-inch touchscreen. Hyundai’s next-generation Blue Link connected car and telematics system has also...

]]>The 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid has received an updated multimedia interface that now comes with Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto integration as standard. Along with better smartphone integration, the car also receives additional standard features such as HD radio and a seven-inch touchscreen. Hyundai’s next-generation Blue Link connected car and telematics system has also be added to the Sonata Hybrid as standard. Later down the line, Hyundai will add a new exterior color palette for the standard Sonata Hybrid and the Sonata Plug-In Hybrid, which is unchanged for the 2017 model year.

Powering the 2017 Sonata Hybrid is a 154-hp 2.0-liter I-4 coupled to a 38-kW electric motor for a combined system output of 193 hp. The electric motor is backed by a 1.62-kWh lithium-ion battery positioned under the trunk floor, deleting the spare tire. EPA fuel economy ratings are 39/45 mpg city/highway for the SE trim of the Sonata Hybrid and 38/43 mpg for the range-topping Limited grade. A larger 50-kW electric motor is equipped in the Sonata Plug-In Hybrid and it’s backed by a 9.8-kWh lithium-ion battery allowing it to travel up to 27 miles in EV mode. Total system output for the Sonata Plug-In Hybrid is 202 hp. The EPA rates the Sonata Plug-In Hybrid at 39 mpg combined when the car is in hybrid mode and has an estimated range of 590 miles when the car has a full tank and battery charge.

]]>http://www.automobilemag.com/news/2017-hyundai-sonata-hybrid-gets-android-auto-carplay/feed/02017 Hyundai Sonata Plug In Hybrid rear three quarter charging2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug In Hybrid rear three quarter charging2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug In Hybrid rear three quarter charging2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug In Hybrid rear three quarter chargingReport: Hyundai-Kia Small CUV to Arrive in 2017http://www.automobilemag.com/news/hear-hyundai-subcompact-cuv-go-sale-2017/
http://www.automobilemag.com/news/hear-hyundai-subcompact-cuv-go-sale-2017/#respondSat, 17 Sep 2016 19:00:05 +0000http://www.automobilemag.com/?p=991670Hyundai-Kia is readying a new subcompact crossover that will slot right below the Tucson or Sportage and according to Auto Express, we can expect it to arrive in 2017, likely as a 2018 model in North America. Citing “senior sources,” the report suggests that the car could be based on the i20, which is closely...

]]>Hyundai-Kia is readying a new subcompact crossover that will slot right below the Tucson or Sportage and according to Auto Express, we can expect it to arrive in 2017, likely as a 2018 model in North America. Citing “senior sources,” the report suggests that the car could be based on the i20, which is closely related to the Accent subcompact sold in North America, and that it could join Hyundai’s lineup instead of Kia’s.

Under the hood, the Hyundai-Kia’s subcompact crossover, will share its engines with the recently revealed next-generation i30 hatchback, which will likely be the Elantra GT in North America. In global markets, the i30 is offered with a variety of engines including a 1.0-liter turbo-three and a 1.4-liter turbo-four. Korean-spec i30s are even available with the same 201-hp 1.6-liter turbo-four and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic found in the Hyundai Veloster Turbo and in the upcoming Elantra Sport.

When this new subcompact crossover arrive in the U.S., expect it to feature the same engine choices as the Kia Forte and Hyundai Elantra, which come standard with an Atkinson cycle 2.0-liter I-4. It may also be possible the the Eco-minded 1.4-liter turbo-four found in the Elantra Eco and the more powerful 1.6-liter turbo-four could find their way into this new crossover. Once it hits the market, the new mini crossover will join a rapidly growing segment that includes the Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3, Fiat 500X, Jeep Renegade, Subaru Crosstrek, and the upcoming Toyota C-HR.

]]>http://www.automobilemag.com/news/hear-hyundai-subcompact-cuv-go-sale-2017/feed/02015 Kia Soul top view 022015 Kia Soul top view 022015 Kia Soul top view 022015 Kia Soul top view 02Next-Generation Hyundai i30 Hatchback Unveiledhttp://www.automobilemag.com/news/next-generation-hyundai-i30-hatchback-unveiled/
http://www.automobilemag.com/news/next-generation-hyundai-i30-hatchback-unveiled/#respondWed, 07 Sep 2016 20:15:57 +0000http://www.automobilemag.com/?p=987742Hyundai teased the next-generation i30 in a video last month and now the automaker has unveiled the all-new hatchback, which should come to the U.S. as the Elantra GT. In Asia and Europe, the i30 will be available with a number of gas and diesel powertrains. Should it come to the U.S., it could get...

]]>Hyundai teased the next-generation i30 in a video last month and now the automaker has unveiled the all-new hatchback, which should come to the U.S. as the Elantra GT.

In Asia and Europe, the i30 will be available with a number of gas and diesel powertrains. Should it come to the U.S., it could get a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated inline-four engine, along with a choice of a manual or automatic transmission. The current 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT is based on the last-generation i30 and is powered by a 2.0-liter I-4 making 173 hp and 154 lb-ft of torque.

While the i30 shares styling cues with the new Elantra sedan, the hatchback debuts what Hyundai is calling its new “Cascading” grille that’s a bit more elaborate that the horizontal slats used in the current Elantra GT. Hyundai’s design boss Peter Schreyer says the grille will be used in future models. Overall the i30 has a more mature look, especially the side profile featuring straight and simple lines.

Inside, the redesigned dashboard now features an infotainment screen that “floats” high above the center air vents. The three-spoke steering wheel looks sportier than the four-spoke wheel used in the current Elantra GT. The hatch will also get a big tech update, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a forward collision prevention system, and a blind spot monitor. The i30 will appear at the 2016 Paris Motor Show in a few weeks where Hyundai should release more details on the new hatchback.